Joe Bataan
Encyclopedia
Joe Bataan (born 1942 in Spanish Harlem
, New York City
) is a Filipino
-African American
Latin R&B musician from New York.
to serve time for a stolen car charge.
Upon his release in 1965, he turned his attention to music and formed his first band, Joe Bataan and the Latin Swingers. Bataan was influenced by two musical styles: the Latin boogaloo
and African American doo-wop
. Though Bataan was neither the first nor only artist to combine doo-wop-style singing with Latin rhythms, his talent for it drew the attention of Fania Records
. After signing with them in 1966, Bataan released "Gypsy Woman," in 1967. (The title track is a Latin dance cover of "Gypsy Woman
" by The Impressions.) He would, in full, release eight original titles for Fania which included the gold-selling "Riot!". These Fania albums often mixed energetic Latin dance songs, sung in Spanish, with slower, English-language soul ballads sung by Bataan himself. As a vocalist, Bataan's fame in the Latin music scene at the time was only rivaled by Ralfi Pagan
and Harvey Averne.
Disagreements over money with Fania head Jerry Masucci
led Bataan to eventually leave the label. While still signed to Fania however, Bataan secretly started Ghetto Records, a Latin music label which got its initial funding from a local gangster, George Febo. Bataan produced several albums for other artists, including Papo Felix, Paul Ortiz
and Eddie Lebron.
In 1973, he helped coin the phrase "salsoul," lending its name to his first post-Fania album. Along with the Cayre brothers, he co-founded Salsoul label
, though later sold out his interest. He recorded three albums for Salsoul and several singles, including "Rap-O Clap-O," from 1979 which became an early hip hop
hit. After his 1981 album, "Bataan II," he retired from music-making to spend more time with his family and ended up working as a youth counselor in one of the reformatories he himself had spent time in as a teenager. In 2005, Bataan broke his long hiatus with the release of "Call My Name," a well-received album recorded for Spain's Vampisoul label.
Bataan is also the father of Asia Nitollano
, winner of the Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll
In the 2006 video game, Driver Parallel Lines, Joe Bataan's song Subway Joe was included in the soundtrack.
In early 2009, Joe Bataan was featured in the Kenzo Digital-produced "beat cinematic" City of God's Son. Bataan was featured as the narrator of the story, paying the part of an older Nas reflecting upon his youth in the street with cohorts Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, Biggie and Raekwon.
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) is a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
-African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Latin R&B musician from New York.
Early life and career
Joe Bataan was born Bataan Nitollano and grew up in the 103rd St. and Lexington Ave. part of East Harlem where he briefly led the Dragons, a local Puerto Rican street gang, before being sent to the Coxsackie Correctional FacilityCoxsackie Correctional Facility
Coxsackie Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in New York in the USA. The prison is in the Town of Coxsackie in Greene County, New York.- Location :...
to serve time for a stolen car charge.
Upon his release in 1965, he turned his attention to music and formed his first band, Joe Bataan and the Latin Swingers. Bataan was influenced by two musical styles: the Latin boogaloo
Boogaloo
Boogaloo or bugalú is a genre of Latin music and dance that was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City among teenage Cubans, Puerto Ricans and other groups. The style was a fusion of popular African American R&B and soul with mambo and son montuno...
and African American doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
. Though Bataan was neither the first nor only artist to combine doo-wop-style singing with Latin rhythms, his talent for it drew the attention of Fania Records
Fania Records
Fania Records was a New York based record label founded by Dominican-born composer and bandleader Johnny Pacheco and Italian-American lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964. The label took its name from an old Cuban song by the singer Reinaldo Bolaño. Fania is known for its promotion of what has become...
. After signing with them in 1966, Bataan released "Gypsy Woman," in 1967. (The title track is a Latin dance cover of "Gypsy Woman
The Impressions (album)
The Impressions is the debut album by the American soul music group of the same name. It produced no less than 6 chart hit singles,including their biggest-ever hit, the Billboard Top 10 Pop smash "It's All Right", and the Top 20 Hit, "Gypsy Woman"...
" by The Impressions.) He would, in full, release eight original titles for Fania which included the gold-selling "Riot!". These Fania albums often mixed energetic Latin dance songs, sung in Spanish, with slower, English-language soul ballads sung by Bataan himself. As a vocalist, Bataan's fame in the Latin music scene at the time was only rivaled by Ralfi Pagan
Ralfi Pagan
Ralfi Pagán was a Bronx, New York-based Latin soul and salsa singer of Puerto Rican parentage who was active from the late-1960s until his untimely death in 1978. He specialized in soul ballads sung both in Spanish and English and released five albums during the 1970s...
and Harvey Averne.
Disagreements over money with Fania head Jerry Masucci
Jerry Masucci
Jerry Masucci was a co-founder of Fania Records.-Early life:Masucci was born October 7, 1934, in Brooklyn, to parents Urbano and Elvira Masucci. He had a brother named Alex Masucci...
led Bataan to eventually leave the label. While still signed to Fania however, Bataan secretly started Ghetto Records, a Latin music label which got its initial funding from a local gangster, George Febo. Bataan produced several albums for other artists, including Papo Felix, Paul Ortiz
Paul Ortiz
Paul Antonio Ortiz is a guitarist and musician from Colchester, UK. He is most famous for his work under his solo project name of Chimp Spanner. Both his 2004 album Imperium Vorago and his 2009 album At The Dream's Edge are entirely self produced in Ortiz' home studio...
and Eddie Lebron.
In 1973, he helped coin the phrase "salsoul," lending its name to his first post-Fania album. Along with the Cayre brothers, he co-founded Salsoul label
Salsoul Records
This article is about the record label. For SalSoul the Puerto Rican Salsa radio station see Cadena Salsoul.Salsoul Records was a New York City based record label founded by brothers Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre . Salsoul released about 300 disco 12-inch singles, and a string of...
, though later sold out his interest. He recorded three albums for Salsoul and several singles, including "Rap-O Clap-O," from 1979 which became an early hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
hit. After his 1981 album, "Bataan II," he retired from music-making to spend more time with his family and ended up working as a youth counselor in one of the reformatories he himself had spent time in as a teenager. In 2005, Bataan broke his long hiatus with the release of "Call My Name," a well-received album recorded for Spain's Vampisoul label.
Bataan is also the father of Asia Nitollano
Asia Nitollano
Asia Nitollano is an American singer, dancer, model and cheerleader. After winning the television series Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll, Nitollano became a member of the Pussycat Dolls, only to leave a few months later to pursue a solo career.-Early life:Nitollano was born...
, winner of the Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is the first season of Pussycat Dolls Present: that premiered on March 6, 2007 on The CW, and took place over the course of eight weeks...
In the 2006 video game, Driver Parallel Lines, Joe Bataan's song Subway Joe was included in the soundtrack.
In early 2009, Joe Bataan was featured in the Kenzo Digital-produced "beat cinematic" City of God's Son. Bataan was featured as the narrator of the story, paying the part of an older Nas reflecting upon his youth in the street with cohorts Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, Biggie and Raekwon.
Discography
- 1967 Gypsy Woman (Fania 340)
- 1968 Subway Joe (Fania 345)
- 1968 Riot! (Fania 354)
- 1969 Poor Boy (Fania 371)
- 1970 Singin' Some Soul (Fania 375)
- 1971 Mr. New York & The East Side Kids (Fania 395)
- 1972 Sweet Soul (Fania 407)
- 1972 Saint Latin's Day Massacre (Fania 420)
- 1972 Live From San Frantasia (unreleased, Fania 432)
- 1973 Salsoul (Mericana)
- 1975 Afro-Filipino (Salsoul/Epic RecordsEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
) - 1980 Mestizo (Salsoul)
- 1981 II (Salsoul)
- 1997 Last Album, Last Song (Bataan Music)
- 2004 Call My Name (Vampisoul)
- 2009 King of Latin Soul (Vampisoul)
External links
- Joe Bataan official site
- Joe Bataan interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' July 2009
- Interview by Michael 'The Dood' Edwards 'UK Vibe' June 2009
- RBMA Radio On Demand - Melbourne Marvels - Joe Bataan (Suss'D)
- Joe Bataan article in the LA Weekly, 15 December 1999
- Joe Bataan interview
- Joe Bataan interview, from APEX Express radio program, KPFA FM, Berkeley, California (MP3)
- TheSoulGirl.com
- Light in the Attic
- Joe Bataan - Call My Name on AnthologyRecordings.com
- City of God's Son
- Part one of a Video Interview with Joe Bataan on Salsa-Central.com
- Joe Bataan Live in Europe
See also
- Filipino hip hopFilipino hip hopFilipino hip-hop or Pinoy hip hop is hip-hop music performed by musicians of Filipino descent, both in the Philippines, and overseas, especially by Filipino-Americans...